US calls for Fifa to drop Russia from hosting World Cup in 2018

RUSSIA should be banned from hosting the World Cup in 2018 as a punishment for its takeover of Crimea, US politicians said last night.

TAKEOVER: Vladimir Putin signed the paperwork to take hold of Crimea from the Ukraine this week [AP]

Fifa President Sepp Blatter is coming under intense pressure to stage the tournament in another country, possibly England.

Dan Coats, a Republican senator from Indiana, said allowing Russia to keep the tournament would be the equivalent of the appeasement of the Nazis before the Second World War.

He said: “We ask that a more deserving World Cup 2018 bid should be reconsidered instead. Does this not remind us of what happened with Hitler in the early Twenties and Thirties?”

Senator Coats and fellow Republican Senator Mark Kirk from Illinois have written a joint letter to Blatter, saying the game’s governing world body has a precedent for banning Russia from even playing in the tournament.

During the Balkan Crisis Yugoslavia was prevented from playing in both the 1992 European Championship and the 1994 World Cup.

We ask that a more deserving World Cup 2018 bid should be reconsidered instead. Does this not remind us of what happened with Hitler in the early Twenties and Thirties?

Dan Coats

Senator Coats said in the letter: “Since Russia has similarly displayed a brazen disrespect for fundamental principles of Fifa and international law, I hope you will agree that it does not deserve the honour of either hosting the World Cup or participating in one.”

Senator Coats believes that sanctions on Russia so far imposed by the EU and the US do not go far enough. He said: SDLqMuch more needs to be done. We must take more meaningful and more properly proportionate steps to respond to this outrage of aggression.”

Russia is spending £12billion on preparing to host the World Cup in 2018 and £4billion on developing the game at grassroots level.

Any question mark over Russia’s future Fifa membership could harm the private investment it needs.

Prime Minister David Cameron was asked on Friday about stripping the finals from Russia. He said however: “On football, I will leave that for the football authorities.”

Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko, a close ally of Putin, said: “Fifa is not a political organisation and it will never react to the interference of politicians in its activities.”